Warriors continue to be linked to Nets’ Michael Porter Jr.

As the Feb. 5 deadline creeps closer, league executives keep circling the same name, and it is not subtle anymore.

Michael Porter Jr. is playing the best basketball of his career, and he is doing it for a Nets team that is clearly pointed toward the future. Those two facts tend to collide this time of year.

Porter has become Brooklyn’s primary scoring option since arriving last summer, and the numbers are loud. He is averaging 25.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting nearly 49 percent from the field and better than 40 percent from three on high volume.

Scouts told Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal the appeal is simple. He scores without hijacking possessions, moves defenders with gravity, and plugs into good teams without forcing structural change.

“You can put him anywhere and he helps,” one scout said, pointing to how seamlessly Porter once fit next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Denver.

That is why the Warriors continue to hover. League sources told Afseth there is legitimate interest, even if public noise has been muted. Golden State has a history of going quiet before going hard.

The wrinkle is structure. Around the league, there is growing belief that any Porter deal could require multiple teams, with Jonathan Kuminga rerouted elsewhere. His contract, which includes a 2026-27 team option, is viewed as a flexible asset. The Lakers, Kings, and Mavericks have all been mentioned as teams to monitor in those conversations.

Brooklyn is not rushed. Porter is under contract through 2026-27, and the Nets have draft capital in hand. That gives them leverage.

For contenders, the appeal is obvious. For the Nets, patience might be the smartest play.